Traditionally, gaming machines have been designed for gaming purposes only. In this regard, gaming machines have been constructed only to include gaming functionality. Recently, however, casino owners have become aware that by adding additional features to gaming machines, they may be able to maintain a player's attention to the gaming machines for longer periods of time. This, in turn, leads to the player wagering at the gaming machine for longer periods of time, thereby increasing casino profits.
One technique that has been employed to maintain a player's attention at the gaming machine has been to provide players with access to gambling-related information. By attaching a small electronic display to the gaming device, gambling-related information, as well as news and advertisements can be sent to the player. The gambling-related information may include, for example, information on sports betting and betting options for those sporting events. Additionally, the gambling-related information may also include information such as horse racing and off-track betting. News and advertisements can also maintain a player's attention by providing the player with access to information ranging from show times, to restaurant and hotel specials, and to world events, thus reducing the need and/or desire for the player to leave the gaming machine.
Moreover, it would be desirable to provide the player with interactive access to the above information. This type of interactivity would allow players significantly more flexibility to make use of the above-described information. The gambling-related information could also be utilized by the player in a much more efficient manner. In this regard, greater levels of flexibility and access are likely to make a player remain and gamble at the gaming machine for significantly longer periods of time. Unfortunately, the system components that are currently utilized for displaying and accessing this type of information, such as external keypads and display modules, are extremely limited in the functionality and capabilities that they provide, thus limiting the breath and quality of information available to maintain the player's attention and keep him engaged at the game for longer periods of time.
As stated above, attempts to distribute gambling-related information, advertisements and news of general interest to players, has typically required additional system components to be attached to the gaming devices separately and apart from the construction of the gaming machine itself. Such components have generally included a keypad, card reader, and display equipment, such as a 2-line LED display. Specifically, these components for accessing and displaying information from gaming machines have been extremely limited in their usefulness because of the lack of capabilities inherent in these components. In addition there is necessarily a limited space available in a gaming machine into which these components can be mounted. This serves to further limit their effectiveness. It would be desirable for new components capable of handling this expanded information transfer to be integrated into the gaming device itself. This would provide for a shareable mechanism with substantially greater functionality and extensibility than that which has been previously available.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art have long recognized the need for a system that is capable of integrating expanded service and systems capabilities with the more traditional function of a gaming device. The claimed invention clearly addresses these and other needs.